


~ Trying to call home ~

by SerMisty



Series: PolyPearls [10]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, I really liked this prompt!, Multi, what if? from A Message Received
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6570244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerMisty/pseuds/SerMisty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It will be just a quick call. Nobody has to know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	~ Trying to call home ~

**Author's Note:**

> [anonymous asked:  
> prompt: yellow diamond doesn't detonate the communicator so pearl uses it to contact yellow pearl]
> 
> I really liked this prompt! =D I love "what ifs" like this. I hope you enjoy!

«Can one of you take this?»  
«Why?»  
«Because it can be remotely detonated». 

Peridot’s words roused panic, but the Diamond Communicator in Pearl’s hand didn’t give any sign of an incoming explosion. Peridot, in the meantime, rolled up on herself and fell on the ground.  
Amethyst laughed. 

«The only thing I see detonating is Peri’s sanity» she snickered.  
«Alright, it’s time to go home» Garnet decided. «But we do need to destroy the Communicator. Pearl» she turned around, «can I count on you?» 

From the way Pearl jumped, holding tight on the Communicator, nodding a little too fast and looking away soon after, Garnet should have understood that something was wrong. Pearl was actually surprised that she didn’t say anything, that she left her alone and went away with the rest of the group.  
Maybe the events of that evening had really wearied her, or maybe she didn’t think that Pearl could risk lying to her again, after what had happened between them. 

Either way she left, and Pearl was alone, and that little _thought_ in her mind started to grow. 

She wandered on the field for a while, trying to concentrate, trying to find a place to hide the Communicator so that humans couldn’t find it. She thought of burying it, of placing it on top of a tree, and of course she thought of taking out her spear and stabbing it until all that was left were shattered pieces.  
But she did nothing. She walked further and further, without a real direction, twisting the Communicator in her hands. She tried to parrot Garnet’s Future Vision and imagine the different outcomes of the choice that she was about to make.  
After all, what was the worst that could happen? 

(A lot of things. Yellow Diamond could have discovered her; Yellow Diamond could have been the very one on the screen the moment she called; it was too risky and in a situation like the one they were in she couldn’t possibly _be thinking_ of doing something this dangerous. Her friends and her planet came before her delusional needs). 

Pearl snarled, raised the Communicator, her arm trembled in the air.  
She couldn’t bring herself to smash it on the ground. 

(Weak). 

Maybe – maybe, perhaps, possibly, there was a chance that it could end well. Perhaps it could have turned out useful, even. Not harmful, at least.  
A call, just one.  
Quick.  
Nobody would have known.  
She could manage lots of different excuses even if things took the wrong way.  
Nobody _had_ to know. 

Pearl stood still in the middle of the field, Communicator in one hand. She was sure she was strong enough to stop herself – but she wasn’t sure she _wanted_ to. 

(Weak. Pathetic). 

(Making mistakes is so _easy_ ). 

So Pearl made the call. 

It was simple to twist the Communicator. Simple, as she had never forgot how to handle it. 

The Communicator raised itself in the air and the screen started to appear. 

Pearl took deep breaths she didn’t need, her stomach twitching. She considered backing off, now, now, _now_ , but her mind was still racing senselessly when suddenly she was connected with a galaxy far away and still so near. 

«I swear, you _green rock_ , that I will – oh my stars». 

Pearl couldn’t believe she had actually succeeded. 

In front of her – but not in front, a little bit higher, in midair, and also with thousands of stars and planets separating them – Yellow looked shocked and incredulous. Pearl could see her eyes running up and down, trying to check if she was real, if she was true.  
Then, a single whisper. 

«White». 

And Pearl smiled. 

«Hi» cautious, shy. 

Yellow didn’t reply and Pearl didn’t continue. They remained silent, looking at each other for a solid minute, wasting, maybe, that solid minute, but there was nothing that could be said that sounded right.  
Pearl thought that Yellow would have interrupted the call. And she would have been okay with that, because she at least managed to see her.  
Instead, Yellow suddenly spoke. 

«I thought you were dead» she said. Calm, controlled, methodical, not exactly what Pearl expected from her. «It’s been… How much? Four, five thousand years? I thought you were dead. And here you are». 

Pearl gulped, but smiled again. 

For a second she felt like she had never left. 

«You sound like you’re displeased».  
«I’m surprised». 

Fair enough. 

Pearl bit her lip, uncertain. Yellow shook her head. 

«So, the Peridot lied» she spit. «The ship was destroyed by _you_. Wasn’t it?»  
Pearl could do nothing but nod. Yellow rolled her eyes. 

Pearl wondered if the reaction would have been different, if she knew what truly happened. 

«Still fighting for Earth, after all this time» she muttered. «Such dedication».  
«And you are still serving Yellow Diamond» Pearl retorted. «Such dedication, indeed». 

Yellow’s stare was ice cold. 

«That’s not dedication» she hissed. «That’s self-preservation». 

Pearl nodded. She knew it was true.  
Yellow bended towards the screen. 

«If my Diamond discovers about you…»  
«I know. I know» Pearl interrupted her. «I just… Had to. I had to see you». 

Yellow snorted, but Pearl was convinced she had blushed a little. 

«Acting without thinking, again» Yellow said. «You never change».  
«I thought about it. I did it anyway».  
«Then you’re two times more stupid than I believed». 

Pearl had to refrain from laughing. 

Even in a situation like that, she felt good. Talking with Yellow was making her feel good. 

(How much time had it been since she had felt _that_ good?) 

«How are you?» she asked.  
«The usual» Yellow replied. She looked away and Pearl knew that she wouldn’t get any other answer.  
«How’s Blue?» she asked then, gently. 

Yellow’s eyes twinkled, her smile softened. 

«She’s fine» she answered. Pearl felt her chest less heavy. «She’s hasn’t changed much. Oh, but you don’t know! She has gotten very good with holograms. She can even make colored ones!»  
«Really?» and Pearl jumped. Happy. Relieved.  
«And she thinks about you. A lot. She still projects that hologram, that memory… Of you, fighting on Blue Diamond’s cloud arena» Yellow smiled a little, but then sighed. «She never gets sick of looking at it». 

Pearl looked away. Another solid minute got wasted, questions flew in the air but were never asked, nor answered. 

«What about you?» Yellow wondered, «Are you alone, on Earth? Beside that annoying Peridot, I mean. Is there anyone else?» 

Pearl bit her lip, she hesitated. 

«I can’t tell you that» she murmured.  
«Excuse me?!» Yellow snapped, only to immediately lower her voice and look behind her, to make sure that Yellow Diamond hadn’t hear. « _You can’t tell me?_ Why are you even calling me if you don’t trust me enough?»  
«I don’t know why I’m calling you».  
«You never know anything, White. You never know anything». 

Yellow shook her head and snarled and she seemed intentioned to interrupt the call and suddenly Pearl _panicked_. 

«No, wait» she gasped, Yellow stopped. «I’m… I’m not alone. There’s Garnet. The fusion, you probably remember her». 

A nod. She did. 

«And there’s Amethyst» Pearl added. She smiled at Yellow’s automatic look of surprise. «No, no. She was made on Earth, she’s different from the Quartzes we knew». 

She kept her mouth open, but then closed it again.  
She trusted Yellow, but not so much to put _him_ on the line.  
She didn't trust _herself_. 

Yellow looked away another time, she too bit her lip, Pearl found ironic how similar her gestures were. 

«Rose Quartz?» 

Asked by any other gem, Pearl would have been sure that they were trying to get information. Yellow herself was very skilled in getting information.  
But not this time, not about her – Pearl knew exactly where did this question come from. 

«No» she confessed. «She’s not here anymore».  
«Oh» Yellow looked anything but sorry, but Pearl gave her points for trying. «Alright. That’s… Good, that’s good. I’m glad you’re not alone». 

That was honest, though it hid a lot of different meanings. Pearl saw them, smiled. 

She had so many questions that she decided not to ask. Just seeing her was - it was _fine_.

«I miss you» she admitted in a murmur. 

Yellow nodded. 

«And we miss you» she replied. «Sometimes – we miss you so much». 

She shook her head, maybe there was a tear in her eye but Pearl couldn’t be sure. 

«Yellow Diamond is furious» she revealed. «She’s going to send a ship on Earth, some Red Eyes, maybe… You better be careful. If she finds you, you’re dead».  
«I know» Pearl said.  
«And still, you called».  
«I did». 

Yellow opened her mouth to reply, but a muffled sound – maybe from behind a door – made her jump. 

«I need to go» she looked behind her. «My Diamond could come back anytime. I’m going to detonate the Communicator, so stay back». 

Pearl lowered her head, snickered. 

«So it could be remotely detonated…»  
«Come again?»  
«Nothing». 

They met each other’s gazes and remained in silence. Their time was up – it was up since the beginning – and Pearl felt like separating was even harder than before.  
Yellow looked away, then lowered her head, raised it again. 

«We still love you» she murmured in one go. She smiled, blushed. «I’m glad you called». 

The screen disappeared. 

The Communicator fell on the ground and Pearl stood there, immobile, “I love you too” still on her tongue and unable to come out.  
When the Communicator flashed red, Pearl woke up and ran away. The explosion wasn’t as loud nor as powerful as she remembered or expected – when she looked back, anyway, there was no trace left. The Communicator had been destroyed. 

Pearl sighed and turned around, slowly walking back home, still feeling dizzy. 

She found herself smiling and covered her face with one hand. 

She was glad she called, too.


End file.
